Copywright USGenNet Inc., 2004, All Rights Reserved U.S. Data Repository Please read U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on this page: County Paupers When the county was organized and divided into townships, three Overseers of the Poor were appointed annually in each, whose duty was to provide for the transient and permanent paupers, and to present the bills of cost to the County Board for allowance. This continued to be the custom until a recent date. Permanent paupers were annually "farmed out" to the lowest bidders, which speices of hubandry similar, not doubt to that sung of by Little Buttercup. " A many years ago, When I was young and charming, As some of you may know, I practiced baby farming. " The earliest allowances cannot be given. In 1822-23 the allowance waw $119.06; in 1825-26, $123.30; in 1827-28, $153; in 1830, $187.38; in 1835, $217.50; in 1838, $233.62; and in 1841- 42, $345.03. Monday July 5, 1830, a Committee of eight (Joel Coombs, John C. McPheeters, Stephen Hole, John Peugh, Andrew Housh, Thomas D. Young, John Hardin and William Purdue.) was appointed to inquire into the expediency of buying a poor farm. The Committe reported in November that such a farm should be bought, that not more than $1,000 should be paid, and not less than a quarter section of land should be bought, where upon Stephen Hole, John C. McPheeters and Joel Coombs were appointed to select and buy a farm in accordance with the recommendations of the former committee. January 3, 1831, they reported that they had bought for $1,000 of Noah Wright, the southwest quarter of Section 25, Township 2 north, Range 4 east, the purchase price to be paid in three annual installments, and part of the house to be surrendered March 1831. Soon after this a code of by-laws was adopted, and Thomas Hodge, Henry DeWalt and Rhodes Mead were appointed directors to employ an agent to take charge of the farm. Tilman Hartley was hired, as was Doctor Charles Hay, to administer to the medical wants of the poor. For some reason Hartley was superseded in 1832 by Andrew Hinkle, but he appealed to the Circuit Court, and waw reinstated in September 1832. The agent at this time was paid $350. Samuel M. Huston became agent in 1834 for two years, but James McKinney succeeded him in 1835, and continued without intermission until 1853, when Obadiah Thomas took his place. In 1838 Robinson & Huston built a frame addition to the poor house. In November 1838, there were 11 paupers in the asylum; there were 9 in 1841, 8 in March, 1843 5 in September 1844, 11 in June 1846, 9 in 1849, 15 in 1850, 16 in 1852, 14 in 1853, 19 in 1854, 23 in 1857, 19 in 1859, 22 in 1861, 24 in 1862, 25 in 1865, 29 in 1869. In 1856 Thomas was paid $42 annually, and continued until 1865, and was than succeeded by George Williams at $50 per year each pauper. This amount was raised to $60 in 1870, and reduced to $55 in 1876. Thomas Seton became Superintendent in 1878 for $650 per annum. In 1843-44 the poor cost $544.47; in 1846-47, $636.27; in 1848-49, $411.21; in 1850-51, $803.20; in 1853-54, $1,412.54; in 1855-56, $1,878.98; in 1859-60, $1,960.57; in 1862-63, $2,817.92; in 1865-66, $2,733.46; in 1867-68, $2,598.93; in 1869-70, $2,397.83; in 1872-73, $2583.21; in 1874-75, $2,885.39; in 1877-78, $3,777.64; in 1879-80, $4,397.27; in 1881-82, $4,287.62; in 1883-84, $359.58. Dr. Elijah Newland was Poor Physician in 1834, and for several years. Dr. C.L. Paynter was hired in the fifties, and continued until recently. Others have been Drs. W.C.Flack, Samuel Reed. In 1878 John P. Strouse, for $593, erected on the Poor Farm a residence for the Superintendent. The building was a frame structure and was completed in December. In 1872 George Williams built a mad-house on the Poor Farm for $245. For several years past the average annual number of paupers at teh asylum has been about sixty. Undr the management of the present Superintendant, Thomas Seton, the asylum is almost self supporting.